Lonzo Ball has made the first major decision of his professional basketball career: actually becoming a pro.
The UCLA point guard hired Harrison Gaines as his agent and filed paperwork to enter the 2017 NBA Draft, The Vertical’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing league sources. Ball could be selected as the No. 1 overall pick this year, and signing with an agent confirms his departure from college after one season.
Gaines will provide Ball with “standard player representation” services but also be a member of the newly launched Ball Sports Group. Gaines is based in Southern California, and Ball will be his first NBA client.
Ball averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 assists per game for UCLA this past season and led the Bruins to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Ball and his father, LaVar, would prefer for the Los Angeles Lakers to select him, but they know they’re at the mercy of the NBA Draft Lottery outcome and could end up on the Boston Celtics or another team.
Thumbnail photo via Jim Brown/USA TODAY Sports Images
